Tension device for wire fences



(No Model.)

H. C. PRATT. TENSION DEVIGE FOR WI BE FENCES. No. 571,930. I Patented Nov. 24, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

HENRY C. PRATT, OF CANANDAIGUA, NEIV YORK.

TENSION DEVICE FOR WIRE FENCES. v

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,930, dated November 24, 1896.

Application filed January 29, 1896. Serial No. 577,303. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY G. PRATT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canandaigua, in the county of Ontario and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tension Devices for lVire Fences; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the same, said invention being fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a sectional view of my device. Fig. 2 represents a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 represents the parts of one of the tensionbars detached.

In the drawings, A represents a section of coiled spring formed upon a mandrel in any desired way and cut oif, the ends of the springsection not being treated in any way.

B B represent a pair of tension-bars formed, preferably, of fiat metal of a width substantially equal to the internal diameter of the spring-coil A, the said bars being of slightly greater length than the coil. Each of these bars 13 is provided at one end with a crossbar I), also formed, preferably, of sheet metal and of greater length than the diameter of the coil A, the said cross-bar being pivotally secured to the tension-bar B by a rivet b or its equivalent. At its other end each bar B is provided with means for securing it to one of the wires of a fence, in this case an aperture b In assembling the parts of the tension device the bars B B are inserted from opposite ends of the spring A, so as to bring the crossbars I) into engagement with the ends of the spring. By reason of the pivotal connection of the cross-bars with the tension-bars B B the cross-bars will turn on their pivots until they engage the end of the spring at both sides of its pivot, thus bringing the strain of the fence-wire, the ends of which will be secured in the apertures b 1), directly against the ends of the spring and compressing the spring in a straight line. This prevents the spring from buckling and gripping the edges of the tension-bars, as it would otherwise do, and thereby defeat the object of the device.

The tension-bars being of substantially the same width as the diameter of the spring also reinforce the spring throughout its length and prevent its buckling. The tension-bars and cross-bars can be stamped out of strips of band-steel of suitable width or sheet metal and riveted together at a very small expense, and by the use of the pivoted cross-bars it is unnecessary to square the ends of the springsection A, which can be made of considerable length and simply cut into sections, thus greatly cheapening the cost of the tension device and producing a strong and efli'cient article.

The sections of coiled spring which I use, as before stated, are formed in considerable length and cut off in sections of the length desired for use in my tension device. It will thus be seen that each end of the spring will stand away from its next adjacent coil or, in other words, will be in a different transverse plane from the portion of the next coil adjacent to it. vided with the pivoted cross-bars, as before described, the ends of the springs can be left in this condition and need not be bent up against the next adjacent coil, which is an expensive operation and would increase the expense of the device.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A tension device for wire fences comprising among its members, a coiled spring, a pair of flat tension-bars extending longitudinally through said spring, each of said bars being provided with a cross-bar pivotally connected therewith and having an edge engaging an end of said spring, substantiallyas described.

2. A tension device for wire fences comprising among its members, a coiled spring having its ends out of the transverse planes of the next adjacent coils, the fiat tension-bars of a width substantially equal to the internal By using the tension-bars pro"v diameter of the spring, extending longitudi- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature nally through said spring and having their in presence of two Witnesses.

edges loosely engaging the interior of the same, each of said bars being provided With HENRY C.'PBAT.T.

5 a cross-bar pivotally connected thereto at one YVitnesses:

end, and means for engaging a fence-wire at HOMER A. DAVIS, the other end, substantially as described. JOHN S. 00E. 

